Google's New Venice Campus Opens Thursday

Company brings Googleplex feel to Southern California location

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A woman walks past the Binoculars Building, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry.

Searching for that Googleplex vibe in Southern California, Google Inc. is opening a 100,000-square-foot campus in Venice on Thursday, said a company spokesman.

The three-building complex, which includes Frank Gehry's Binoculars Building (pictured, above), will help unite the company's more than 500 SoCal employees, who were previously spread out over three sites, Google spokesman Jordan Newman said. The new facility is expected to mirror the culture of the company's Mountain View, Calif.-based headquarters, known as the Googleplex.

"That kind of campus vibe is something we try to create as much as possible," Newman said.

On-site amenities include a cafe with free food, a wellness center/gym, massage rooms, and -- as a nice SoCal touch -- surfboards are available for check out. The site is a couple hundred feet from the beach (map).